1, 2, 3…Gnocchi!

Georgeous dumplings: chewy and delicious with this homemade gorgonzola sauce!

If you love gorgonzola cheese, then this dish is for you. It’s unbelievably easy too—you can make it in 20 minutes flat. If you’ve never had gnocchi, its chewy texture paired with the savory combination of garlic, toasted walnuts, creamy gorgonzola, will perhaps make you fall in love. Dip a soft or crusty hunk of bread in the velvety sauce, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

You’ll need:

(Serves one)

• 3/4 cup gnocchi (this looks like too little but trust me, once it cooks and mixed in with the other ingredients, it’s hefty)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• half a teaspoon of crushed garlic (more if you like) 
• a handful of walnuts (option to chop, crush them with your fist, or just mash them with a wooden spoon as you’re making the dish)
• 3 tablespoons of crumbled gorgonzola (more if you like)
• 1/2 cup milk

Sauté until edges of gnocchi are ever-so-slightly browned

Directions:

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions—which simply means, boil water, add salt, add gnocchi, and fish them out once they float to the surface. Save 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid for later (this will help create a thick, yummy, creamy sauce).
2. On medium low heat, warm the olive oil then add the garlic (don’t let it brown).
3. Up the heat to medium and sauté the walnuts until toasted, and add the cooked gnocchi.
   
4. Toss in the gorgonzola, and as it melts, add the milk, then the pasta water. Season to taste and turn off the heat once sauce starts to thicken.
5. Serve in a bowl, top with cracked black pepper and crumbles of gorgonzola.

Gnocchi in a creamy gorgonzola sauce cooked with garlic and walnuts.

Note: As I’ve mentioned in the intro, you MUST have a hunk of bread to dip into the sauce; it’s part of the experience. Glass of wine is optional :) Enjoy!

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 23